Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 1724 - 908: Seeking the Dao (2)

Grandmaster Hu materialized a survival talisman, and a simple scan confirmed its function.

"This is truly a talisman created by a peak great cultivator, utilizing special talisman paper, capable of transmitting one eight thousand miles. With this survival talisman, our safety is guaranteed!" Grandmaster Hu exclaimed with excitement.

The Great Cultivators of the Ten Thousand Beast Sect were already a scarce resource, and they bore the responsibility of overseeing the entire Dongqi Continent.

Should a Great Cultivator face a formidable adversary, summoning reinforcements would prove too slow. A survival talisman of this caliber offered immeasurable advantages to the Ten Thousand Beast Sect.

Previously, the Ten Thousand Beast Sect lacked any peak great cultivators, and the survival talismans they possessed were either acquired through costly exchanges with other sects or were ancestral heirlooms.

No matter the origin, the actual efficacy of these talismans was akin to those crafted by mid-stage great cultivators, yielding results that were less than ideal.

"I have some blank talismans, but regrettably, I lack the technique for creating them. Even if we possessed the method, the necessary materials are unavailable here!" Li Shiming gently tempered Grandmaster Hu's elation, offering an explanation.

"Can you establish contact with that place? We could offer resources in exchange!" Grandmaster Hu, fully grasping the immense value of such talismans, gazed at Li Shiming with palpable hope.

"Don't even contemplate it for decades. Moreover, I have adversaries scattered across the globe there. Even if I could, I could only attempt it cautiously," Li Shiming replied with a wry smile.

Beside him, Yin Shilan extended her hand, clasping his. Though unspoken, her message was clear: she did not wish for him to face further peril.

"Then do not go. For the Ten Thousand Beast Sect, your safety surpasses the importance of these talismans!" Grandmaster Hu immediately declared, shaking his head after hearing Li Shiming's response.

Li Shiming, a peak great cultivator, possessed combat prowess at the mid-stage great cultivator level, capable of vanquishing two peak great cultivators.

In the current cultivation landscape, it was precisely Li Shiming's formidable deterrence that compelled major forces to treat the Ten Thousand Beast Sect as equals.

To say nothing of Li Shiming's alchemical mastery; without his significant backing, a potent force might have already commandeered him for their own pill refinement needs.

Yet, despite such strength, Li Shiming's admission of widespread enemies and his cautious approach hinted at the terrifying caliber of those adversaries.

Grandmaster Hu refrained from further speculation, dreading the contemplation of the might arrayed against Li Shiming.

Li Shiming offered no further elaboration; his objective was firmly fixed.

If the 'Divine Perception Stele' was not materialized by IBMz15 within the span of two centuries, he would be compelled to journey to the Cloud Island Sea, enter the Divine Palace, and re-examine the 'Divine Perception Stele'.

He was cultivating the 'Heavenly Human Technique', treading a path seldom traversed by those who came before.

The 'Heavenly Human Technique' bestowed immense power, yet it carried commensurate risks, demanding at least a mastery of the Five Elements Rules, a hurdle several magnitudes more challenging than for typical cultivators.

Although the jade scroll detailed the advancement to the half-step great power stage within the 'Heavenly Human Technique', myriad unknown dangers loomed, leading him to question if certain aspects of the technique might not be mere conjecture by Great Power Zhai Ge.

Only by comprehending the 'Divine Perception Stele' could an optimal path to half-step great power be discerned; attempting to chart it independently courted excessive risk.

He would not venture to the Cloud Island Sea solely for the blank talismans; such a notion was preposterous.

He possessed several hundred blank talismans suitable for great cultivators and dozens for peak great cultivators, an ample supply for the Ten Thousand Beast Sect that would last for millennia.

Let alone a millennium, unless the Ten Thousand Beast Sect initiated a conflict involving great cultivators, the survival talismans bequeathed to them by Li Shiming would suffice for ages untold.

Meanwhile, Li Yuanba received the phantom clone, who arrived astride a Thunder Beast, and immediately presented a Mustard Seed Ring upon their meeting.

Li Yuanba accepted the Mustard Seed Ring, which contained not only the 'Heavenly Spirit Jade Pearl' but also several potent spirit pills exclusive to the Cloud Island Sea, some 'Corrosion Fog' talismans, a top-tier fourth-grade flying boat, and five servings of fourth-grade Inquiry Tea.

This marked Li Yuanba's inaugural use of high-level spirit pills designed for great cultivators, exhibiting exceptionally potent effects. Subsequently, as his body acclimated, the efficacy gradually diminished to a more average level.

Even in regions like the Cloud Island Sea, where dealing with ’Corrosion Fog’ is common knowledge, its presence is treated with extreme caution. The situation here, however, is far more perilous, as no one has even heard of such a phenomenon before.

The formidable fourth-grade flying boat, a prize Li Shiming acquired from a eminent cultivator of the Mirror Moon Sect within the Cloud Island Sea, would have been unusable in its familiar environment.

Yet, in this unfamiliar territory, the vessel proved to be perfectly suitable, its operational history notably unblemished.

"My sincere gratitude, esteemed friend!" Li Yuanba offered a polite bow with a smile.

He then presented a Mustard Seed Ring to the phantom clone, which held the exceptionally valuable item known as the ’Cold Moon Ice Soul Needle’.

This meticulous approach, delaying the delivery of potent items until the phantom clone’s power was augmented, was precisely why Li Shiming implemented it. If a supreme being were to discover the nature of the item being transported, they might be tempted to seize it by force.

Items of significant value, those capable of bolstering the strength of even the most powerful cultivators, invariably become focal points of immense trouble upon their emergence.

Only those with truly immense power can possess such treasures without inviting peril.

Were it not for Li Yuanba’s formidable backing from the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion and the substantial support of the Sword Elder, he would have been compelled to relinquish the ’Cold Moon Ice Soul Needle’ long ago, even after securing it.

Without the intervention of the Sword Elder, the residual spiritual imprint within the ’Cold Moon Ice Soul Needle’ would have enabled its original owner, a supreme cultivator, to forcibly reclaim it.

Upon returning to the Sword Intent Chongxiao Pavilion, Li Yuanba encountered Jian Wuwei.

Sensing that Jian Wuwei had sought him out specifically, Li Yuanba extended a warm welcome, inviting him into his personal cultivation abode.

"Master, your fortune is indeed great! I happened to acquire some premium spirit tea; please take it with you!" Li Yuanba expressed with a cheerful smile directed at his master, Jian Wuwei.

"Yuanba, was this delivery from Li Shizhen? I had anticipated he would reach out upon his return. Excellent timing, as the pavilion currently holds a collection of potent spirit medicines from eminent cultivators that require refinement, a task you have consistently sidestepped. This time, you can arrange for Li Shizhen to handle the refinement!" Jian Wuwei indicated with a smile, gesturing towards Li Yuanba.

He observed as Li Yuanba carefully retrieved a jade box, placing a portion of the fourth-grade Spirit Tea within its confines.

Throughout this delicate procedure, Li Yuanba diligently enveloped the fourth-grade Spirit Tea with spiritual power, meticulously guarding against any dissipation of its intrinsic essence.

"Why be so frugal? It's merely a modest amount of spirit tea; we might as well enjoy it here!" Jian Wuwei expressed his surprise at Li Yuanba’s uncharacteristic parsimony on this occasion.

"This is 'Inquiry Tea,' a brew reserved for the consumption of eminent cultivators. Its efficacy is maximized during the initial tasting, thus, Master should preserve it until after your advancement to the eminent cultivator realm before indulging," Li Yuanba elucidated, noting Jian Wuwei’s apparent unfamiliarity with its true value.

"Fourth-grade Inquiry Tea? Can an Inquiry Tea tree truly attain the fourth grade? This is the first I've heard of such a phenomenon!" Jian Wuwei, having encountered numerous profound secrets throughout his journey, found himself compelled to inquire upon hearing mention of fourth-grade Inquiry Tea.

He was acquainted with Inquiry Tea of the second and third grades; indeed, even nurturing a third-grade Inquiry Tea tree demanded immense resources and effort.

As far as his knowledge of the cultivation world extended, the existence of a fourth-grade Inquiry Tea tree remained undocumented.

At this moment, the extraordinary preciousness of this Spirit Tea became unequivocally clear to him. Any tea capable of inducing a fleeting moment of profound enlightenment for an eminent cultivator was, without question, a treasure of the highest order.

Jian Wuwei accepted the jade box, refraining from opening it, acutely aware that even the slightest loss of its spiritual essence could diminish the tea’s potential for enlightenment.

Should he consume it prematurely and forfeit the opportunity for enlightenment due to such a loss, the regret would be immeasurable.

"Master, this is a communication jade token. I intend to commence a period of intensive closed-door cultivation shortly. Should the pavilion require assistance with alchemy, you may employ this token to summon Li Shizhen from the Dongqi Continent for alchemical services," Li Yuanba stated, presenting a jade token.